


Love without Trust

by AshleyTrecartin



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bathroom Sex, Drabbles, Drama, F/M, Light Bondage, Loving Sex, PWP, Passionate, Smut, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-06
Updated: 2015-01-07
Packaged: 2018-03-06 07:26:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3126017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshleyTrecartin/pseuds/AshleyTrecartin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cassandra is fresh from the shower when she's visited by Jake. He says he doesn't trust her. So why are his hands playing with her towel? A series of drabbles with Jake and Cassandra. Connected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Love without Trust

Cassandra gasped as Stone appeared in her bathroom mirror. She was now thankful that she had decided to keep her towel on, instead of taking it off like she was used to. Though, she’d actually expected Jones to be the one to try and sneak a peek. Not Stone. He didn’t even like her. 

No, that wasn’t right. He liked her, he just didn’t trust her. That still confused her. She wasn’t exactly sure how you could like someone without being able to trust them. Yet, Stone seemed capable of that. 

She tried to cool the blush on her face as Stone walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Cassandra had to refrain from moaning as he slowly leaned against it, his dark eyes watching her carefully, licking his full lips. She shut down her brain before she went into hyper drive. “What are you doing here?” she asked, slowly turning around and looking at him, not his reflection in the mirror. 

He didn’t say anything. Instead, he advanced upon her until she was backed against the bathroom sink, his arms cadging her in. She felt his breath fan over her face and swallowed thickly. She felt the arousal start deep inside of her. She’d been fighting it for so long, but with him this close and herself this…naked, it was hard to ignore it. “Stone?” she tried again. 

“Shh.” He leaned in closer, his lips brushed against hers and Cassandra gasped, jerking her head away. He had to be drunk, or under the influence of some magical object. Had to be. 

“Wh-what are you doing?” Now it was getting harder to keep her brain from going haywire. She was having sensual overload. 

“I’m sick of watching you walk around here with your little naïve innocence and frilly dresses. And seeing you in your bra and panties holding the Apple of Discord? You just about dropped me to my knees.” His hands moved from the porcelain sink to her waist. They slowly moved up her hips, over her sides to the top of the towel. His big fingers flirted with the top of it. Cassandra was suddenly terrified that he was going to open it. She didn’t know what her brain would do then. She’d probably go on a three hour tangent. “I’m sick of fighting this attraction I have for you.”

She shook her head, desperately trying to focus. “Wait, wait, wait!” She managed to get a hold of her bearings and pushed him away. He seemed shocked and amused at the same time. “What are you talking about? You don’t even trust me!”

He shook his head, ran a hand through his hair before settling them on his hips. He looked so…delectable. “Damn it Cassandra, I told you, trust ain’t got nothin’ to do with it.” His thick country accent came out when he was upset and it did things to Cassandra’s sex drive. If he kept that up she wouldn’t be able to resist him, even though she knew she should. 

“And I’m telling you…cowboy, that I’m not going to get into a relationship with someone who doesn’t trust me.” She glared at him and pushed past him. She needed to get clothes on. If she had clothes on she could think better. 

Stone caught her arm and pushed her against the wall. Cassandra gasped as her back collided with the tile and the towel started to slip. She quickly moved to grab it but Stone grabbed her wrists and pinned them beside her head to the wall. “Who said anything about a relationship?” he asked, his eyes piercing into hers. 

She narrowed her eyes. She might seem innocent, but she was far from that. “I’m not going to just sleep with you so you can get your rocks off.” She tried to pull her hands free. Her towel was going to fall any second. To distract herself from Stone’s eyes and the way he was looking at her she did the math in her head. She had fifteen seconds before that towel hit the floor. 

“I think you should.” 

_Fourteen._

“I think it could be fun.”

_Thirteen._

“You and me—” 

_Twelve._

“—in a big, big bed.”

_Eleven._

“Darlin’, I could teach you…”

_Ten._

“so many things I could…”

_Nine._

“make your head spin.”

_Eight._

He was already doing that.

_Seven._

She looked up at him. 

_Six._

She tried to pull her hands free. 

_Five._

“Come on Cass.”

_Four._

“You know you want to.”

_Three._

“Just say yes.”

_Two._

“I’ll be gentle.”

_One._

“Promise.” 

Cassandra shut her eyes as the towel finally left what little grip it had because of her small breasts and hit the floor between them. She didn’t want to see the loon on Stone’s face. She didn’t want the humiliation to sink in. She could fight it off. As long as she kept her eyes closed. Stone groaned and his grip on her wrists tightened. “Cassandra, look at me.” She shook her head. She needed to keep her eyes closed. 

“Cass,” he growled. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked into his. They were dark, swirling with lust. He wanted her. That was all she saw in those eyes. There was no reason behind it; there was no judgment, nothing but pure want and need…for her. “You tell me you really don’t want this and I’ll walk out that door.” His eyes shifted over her body, taking her in. “But you tell me you don’t want this and I’ll call you a liar.”

She searched his eyes. He wasn’t kidding. He really, really wanted her. And he was right, she did want him too. She bit her lip and looked down. She realized just how naked she was and her embarrassment came rushing back. Cassandra started to cover herself but Stone pushed her hands tighter against the wall and stared into her eyes. “Answer me Cassy.”

She bit her lip, then licked in. “I…” She didn’t know what to say. Oh, what the hell. Cassandra pushed up on her toes and crashed her lips against Stone’s. He groaned, his hands finally releasing her lips to wrap around her waist. He pulled her tight against him and Cass could feel his hardness, pushing against his jeans. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue sensually stroked her lips, begging entrance. She let him in. Her arms went around his neck, her fingers tangling into his hair. 

Cassandra gasped when his huge, rough hands grasped her ass and picked her up, pressing her back against the wall. His lips moved from her lips, across her jaw to her neck. She dropped her head to the side, rubbing her hips against him. 

Contrary to popular belief around the library, Cassandra was far from a virgin. She’d gone through a rebellious stage. She figured if she was going to die then she might as well have the time of her life—what was left of it. Her hands finally left his hair and started to make quick work of his button down. “Stone?”

“Hmm?” He was kissing her neck, his hands cupping and gently caressing her breasts. 

“Remember how you said you were going to teach me a few things?” She finally had his shirt undone and was working on his belt. She gasped and arched her back off the wall when he lightly pinched her nipples, rolling them between his fingers. 

“Mhm.” 

She smirked a little. It was nice to know that he couldn’t even form proper words. “Yeah, well, I’m going to teach you a few things.” She took his cock into her hand and started to stroke it. Stone almost dropped her as the sensations rocked straight to his brain and he groaned, his hands falling from her body to brace them both against the wall. 

“Oh hell,” he groaned. “Are you trying to kill me?”

Cassandra giggled. “Not yet.” She rolled her thumb over his tip. He growled and cupped her sex with his hand and ground his heel against her clit. She lost her rhythm as pleasure shot straight through her, white hot, and oh god she’d missed this. “Oh, god, Stone,” she moaned out. He moved their hands out of the way and lined up their bodies before looking up into her eyes, silently asking if she was absolutely sure. They were beyond words now. Cassandra slipped herself down in his arms until he was starting to push inside of her. That was all he needed. 

Stone slammed his hips forward, his cock burring deep inside of her. Cassandra threw her head back against the wall and nearly screamed, her body adjusting to the intrusion, loving the stretch, the way he filled her. She couldn’t remember something feeling this good ever. Her brain was shut off. All she knew was the intense pleasure he was giving her and his hard body against hers. 

“Shit, you’re so tight. You are trying to kill me.” Cassandra wanted to argue with him but she didn’t have the breath. Every nerve in her body was ignited. “You gotta keep it down, Cassie.” Stone buried his head in her neck, his lips, tongue, and teeth attacking her skin. That only made her louder. Stone finally covered her mouth with his hand as her nails clawed at his shoulders. She could feel that tight ball of heat coiling tighter and tighter in her belly. It wouldn’t be long before she exploded. 

She moved her head away from his hand. “Jake, I’m close.” He smirked and sped up his thrusts. Cassandra cried out loudly as her orgasm hit her, clawing its way through her body and exploding behind her eyes with white hot intensity. She faintly heard Stone groan, a dark, primal, male sound before he was shuttering against her. 

Trying to catch her breath Cassandra slowly pulled away until she was looking down into his eyes. He slowly lifted his head, his messy hair falling into his eyes. She didn’t know who moved first but one minute they were looking at each other in the throes of post orgasmic bliss, the next they were kissing again and he was carrying her back to the shower, holding her with one arm, using the other to start the water. 

She’d meant what she said. She didn’t want a relationship where there was no trust, but she had a feeling she wasn’t going to get a choice. She could feel herself already falling for this gorgeous man in front of her. 

Later, after they’d emerged from the shower, they found, Eve, Ezekiel, and Jenkins standing around the table in the middle of the annex. They all looked up and Cassandra could tell from the looks on their faces that they not only knew what had happened, but they had heard them as well. She was really hoping no one was going to say anything. But, she knew Ezekiel better than that. 

“So, guess this means you two worked out whatever it was going on between you?”

Cassandra felt the blush on her face and quickly avoided eye contact. “Jealous, Jones?” Stone came to stand beside her and put an arm around her waist. She looked up at him. He just winked and brushed some hair behind her ear. Maybe she was slowly gaining his trust back? Even if she wasn’t, she knew they were in for a bumpy ride ahead.


	2. Various Art Forms

Various Art Forms

Jake smirked and looked over Cassandra’s form as she slowly walked into his room, quietly closing the door behind her. He closed his book on higher physics and set it on the small table beside the armchair he was seated in. Jenkins wasn’t happy about the four of them moving into the annex, but he’d gotten over it. It was easier to respond to emergencies if there were all in one place, and close to the library. Even he could see that. 

Earlier, Jake and Cassandra had had a conversation privately while looking for information on mummies. He had found a book on the art of rope tying and had gotten lost flipping through the beautifully decorated bodies. Cassandra had caught him lost in the pages and had asked him about it. He had explained to her that bondage was just another form of art, and he was an expert on art. Jake had seen the way she’d been carefully studying the pages. He could see the intrigue in her eyes. He could practically hear the wheel turning in her head, carefully doing the math. He told her that if she wanted firsthand experience to come to his room after everyone else had gone to bed. They didn’t need Jones making anymore jokes. 

And here she was. Dressed in a black silk nightgown that ended at her knees. He was slightly shocked that she had something like that in her wardrobe, but he wasn’t complaining. It was amusing. The more time they spent alone, the more he realized that Cassie wasn’t exactly as innocent as everyone assumed her to be. She sure as hell hadn’t been a virgin when he’d ambushed her in the bathroom. It made him want to know more. 

“You’re sure about this?” he asked softly, standing up. Her eyes stayed on his naked chest. Jake himself was only dressed in a pair of loose fitting sleep pants. His bare feet padded across the marble floor until he was standing in front of her. “Cassie?”

She shook her head and blinked, looking up at him. Remembering that he had asked her something. “Yes,” she answered, looking into his eyes. Jake smirked. As long as she was sure. 

“Stand in the center of the room.” He watched her as she walked. The silk on her body shifted and moved, slinking over her hips as she walked. Jake bit his lip. Her body was a work of art. He may not trust her, but he was bound and determined to study that work of art with every second he had. 

In preparation for tonight, Jake had gathered the needed materials and had them lying on his bed. He picked up the silk scarf first. It would be so much more fun with her blindfolded. “Do you trust me, Cassie?” he asked, walking up behind her, his voice low and dark. 

“Isn’t that a bit…hypocritical?”

He chuckled. “Suppose so. But this doesn’t work unless you trust me.” That was the truth. And, he wouldn’t admit it, not out loud, not yet, but he was starting to trust her again. 

She nodded her head. “I trust you.”

“Good.” Jake reached around her and covered her eyes with the scarf before gently tying it behind her head. Instead of going for the rope next he slowly pushed the straps of her nightgown down her arms. He brushed her hair away from her neck and kissed the skin of her neck. Cassandra moaned softly, leaning her head to the opposite side, granting him better access to her skin. He could smell her soap on her, honey and vanilla. He could smell the shampoo in her hair. She was driving him crazy. His senses were in overload. 

Jake helped her arms out of the straps and let her nightgown pool around her feet, catching momentarily on her breasts and her hips. “Anytime you’re not feeling this, you let me know.” She nodded her head as he grabbed the rope off of the bed. He started with a basic chest harness, wrapping the ropes artfully around her breasts and torso. Jake made sure not to pull the ropes too tight. Cassandra was new to this and he didn’t want to over to it. Not for her first time. Once the harness was done, he grabbed another smaller length of rope and gently pulled her arms behind her back. 

He noticed that her breathing had picked up. “Easy, Cassie.” He started to bind her wrists behind her back. Jake connected the rope around her wrists to the rope from her chest harness. He glanced at the rope left on the bed and contemplated using it. He decided against it. Instead, he helped her over to the bed, guiding her. Jake helped her until she was in a comfortable position. He studied her face. Her face was flushed with arousal and slight embarrassment. But she was turned on, that was the most important part. 

Jake grabbed the small throw pillow off of the arm chair he’d been sitting in earlier and positioned it under her ass to raise it slightly. “You doing okay?” Cassandra nodded her head. “Good.” He eased onto the bed in front of her. He cupped her thighs and gently eased them apart. Oh good lord, was she turned on. Her pussy was drenched, glistening with her wetness. She was aching for him and he hadn’t even touched her yet.

He eased his hips into the cradle of hers, bracing his arms on the bed on either side of her head and stared down into her face and he knew she trusted him. How could she not when she let him do this to her? She was right; it was a little hypocritical of him. That didn’t matter right now though. All that mattered was that he had this gorgeous, smart, sexy, naked woman beneath him. 

And he was about to show her the stars. 

He bent his head and brushed his lips against hers and, oh fuck him, Cassandra was so responsive. Her head lifted off the pillow, she pushed closer against him. It was like he was a planet, generating gravity, sucking her into him. His tongue reached out and brushed her lips. Her taste exploded in his mouth, driving his senses crazy. He fisted a hand in her hair as he deepened the kiss. Cassandra moaned, her body undulating under him, her hips rocking against his. His cock hurt. He needed to get inside of her. But he wanted to take this slow. The first time in the shower had been rushed. He wanted to savor this time with her. He wanted to learn all of the little things that drove her crazy. Wanted to find all of her sensitive spots. He wanted to make sure she knew he was in this for as long as she would have him. He wanted to make sure she didn’t go to any other man’s bed. She was his now. There was no escaping this. 

He kissed a path down her neck and over the swell of a breast. Her nipples were hard, standing at attention, begging to be sucked. Who was he to deny her? Jake closed his lips around her nipple and drew it into his mouth sucking on it. Cassandra moaned and arched off the bed, offering more of her breast to him. He cupped the other, brushing his thumb over her nipple. She was so damn responsive. 

His other unoccupied hand curled down her hip and hooked one of her legs over his hips. He brushed his finger over her sex, pressed lightly on her clit. She mewled into his mouth, her hips arching. Jake groaned. He’d never been with a woman this responsive, this in tuned to his touch. She was driving him crazy. Jake slowly pushed a finger into her and growled. She was so tight and wet, her pussy clenching around his finger, trying to draw him in deeper. 

“Fuck, Cass, you’re driving me crazy,” he groaned out. He pumped his finger slowly, curling it and rubbing that spot inside of her he knew would drive her crazy. That was all it took before she was all but screaming his name and writhing under him, coming around his finger. 

Jake lost it. All thoughts of taking it slow left his mind. He sat up on his knees and pushed his sleeping pants down over his ass. His cock sprang free, hard and ready for her. He grabbed a rubber off of the table beside the bed. They were careless the first time. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again. As soon as he had it on, Jake hooked her legs over his shoulders, nearly bending her in half as he slid into her tight wet, heat. He groaned and dropped his head onto her as he started pumping into her body. 

Cassandra moaned, struggling with her arms. “Wanna feel you,” she gasped out, her head thrown back against the pillow. 

“Gonna have to settle for lookin’ at me darlin’.” Jake pulled the blindfold off and stared down into her blue diamond eyes, clouded and dark with lust and pleasure. He licked his lips before crashing his lips against hers. Kissing her hard, bruising her lips, grinding his hips against her. He felt like her pussy went on forever. He was balls deep in her. And she was so sensitive after already one orgasm. She was shaking under him, her hips moving with his, her heels digging into the small of his back, her pussy clenching around his cock, desperate to keep it inside of her. 

“Sh-should have done this sooner.”

Jake let out a breathy chuckle as he pulled his hips back slowly before slamming them deep and hard against her. Cassandra cried out. Jake slapped a hand over her mouth. Everyone might be asleep, but they didn’t need her cries of passion waking them up. He was getting close. So was she if the trembling of her pussy was anything to go by. He reached a hand down and rubbed her clit. Cassie screamed against his hand as she came, hard. He couldn’t hold his own orgasm back, not with her clenching around him like that. He groaned, biting down on his lip as he came, his orgasm running through him, making his head spin. 

With shaky hands Jake slowly pulled out of Cassandra and tossed the condom. She was panting against the sheets as he slowly eased her onto her stomach so he could untie the ropes from her body. As soon as she was free Jake pulled her small body against his chest and held her tightly against him. He dropped a kiss onto her shoulder. “How was it?”

She laughed breathily, turning her head to look at him over her shoulder. “It was…educational.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “Lots more where that came from.” She hummed and turned, cuddling into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, his fingers lightly tracing up and down her spine. He could really get used to this; a gorgeous woman in his bed, going to sleep completely satisfied, knowing that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Yeah, he would really get used to this.


	3. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's come to my attention that some did not like the last chapter. I'm not going to try to convince you. To each their own. I'm still getting used to the characters and thought it was a good one. I'm okay with people disliking a chapter. I've added the appropriate tags. Not ever chapter will be like the previous. Also, this chapter deals with vampires, and it's been a long time since I've seen The Librarian and the Curse of the Judas Chalice, so I'm not quite sure on how the vampire lore went, the lore in here might be contradictory to the lore in the movie. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter a little more.

Aftermath 

Jake put his arms out reflexively as they jumped through the door from Cincinnati Ohio to the annex. Eve was right, he was never going to get used to that. The others followed him through and the door swung shut behind Ezekiel. Jenkins was waiting for them, waiting for a full report on the events that had occurred. It hadn’t been an easy case this time. Not by a long shot. This had been something up Flynn’s alley, not theirs. Jake didn’t usually agree with Eve that they weren’t ready for the big stuff, but they really hadn’t been ready for this. 

_It was official, Jake absolutely hated vampires. These sons of bitches were mean, nasty, and hard to kill. He had a tremendous amount of respect for Flynn, considering he’d managed to kill Dracula. They’d been tracking a group of five vampires through Cincinnati. The clippings book had shown that there were an alarming amount of drained bodies popping up, so they’d taken the case. How hard could it really be to kill vampires?_

_Very hard actually. They were fast. It was like trying to stop a twister in its path, and growing up in Oklahoma had taught Jake that was impossible. Yet, here they were, in an abandoned construction site, trying to kill five twisters._

_He was keeping an eye on Cassie. He knew the other two would be alright, Eve was a solider and Ezekiel had a knack for staying alive. Cassie on the other hand, well, she wasn’t weak, not by a long shot, but he didn’t know that she would be able to take on a five hundred year old vampire alone. However, as much as he wanted to throw her behind him and keep her safe, he had his own bloodsucker to deal with. He was dodging punches left and right, avoiding most of them, but a right hook caught him in the jaw with enough force to send him backwards into a pile of drywall. Jake had been in his fair share of bar fights, but this was a little more intense than a bunch of drunk cowboys._

_“Jake!” He heard Cassandra, looked up through blurry eyes and drywall dust in time to see her running towards them. Saw her get grabbed by the vampire he’d been going up against. Apparently she was more capable than he thought. She’d already killed her vampire. He saw the ugly SOB grab her around the waist, pull her body tight against his, fist a hand in her hair. He saw the pale, delicate column of her neck just before the vampire bit down into her skin. His blood ran cold as her body slumped against the vampire holding her, feeding off of her._

_With a surge of energy he hadn’t known he possessed, Jake grabbed the stake he’d been holding and threw it at the distracted vampire. It didn’t hit the heart, but it caused enough pain for the bloodsucker to drop Cassie’s body, letting Even finish him off._

_Jake ran to Cassandra and slid to his knees beside her, pulling her body against his. She was still breathing, but she was so damn pale. Eve picked up the Sun Stone that they’d been sent to retrieve. The vampires had been using it to create a way for them to walk in the sun without burning. “Is she okay?”_

_He nodded his head. “Think so, just a little weak.” Jake smoothed some hair from her face as she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. “Hey there Cassie.”_

_“What happened?”_

_“You got bit.” She started to panic. “Hey, easy, easy, the bite won’t turn you.” She started to relax in his arms a bit. Everyone agreed that it wasn’t a good idea to move until Cassandra was able to walk. It didn’t take long, but Jake never took his eyes off of her. Something wasn’t right. She wasn’t her usual self. Getting bitten had done something to her._

Back in the annex Jake’s eyes carefully scanned Cassie’s face, watching her. She still wasn’t back to normal. She had some color back. After eating he had no doubt that her rosy complexion would come back to her face, but it was more than that. It was like her spirit had been broken. That life, that excitement that she oozed was gone. That wasn’t sitting well with him. She didn’t say a word to Jenkins, or anyone else. She left the room, walking back to the bedrooms that had been kept for them. He frowned, but didn’t go after her. He figured she needed her space. Instead, he went to Eve’s training room. He needed to hit something. 

“You’ve been down here for two hours.” Jake stopped the punching bag from swinging and looked over at Ezekiel. The thief was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed. His eyes were carefully studying Jake. 

“What’s your point?” Out of all the people he expected, he hadn’t been ready for Jones. 

“You should go talk to her.” 

Jake rolled his eyes. “No offense, but you’re the last person I’m going to take girl advice from.” Jake pulled his arm back, ready to start punching again. He still had too much pent up aggression. 

“You’re breaking her heart.”

The stopped him in his tracks. “Excuse me?”

Ezekiel walked into the room and stood right in front of the punching bag. A good way to make sure Jake was paying attention. Did everyone around this place have to be so damn smart? “We all know you don’t trust her, and I’m beginning to wonder why, mate.”

Remembering the events from the first time they’d all had a mission together, Jake’s anger started to rise. “She betrayed us. She’s the reason Flynn got stabbed by Excalibur.” 

“Yeah, and then she helped us get back the crown, saved Flynn’s life, and today, she saved yours.” He crossed his arms and that arrogant smirk played across his lips. Jake wanted to punch it right off. “She’s been doing everything she can think of to get your trust back, and even though I don’t know why, she really, and I mean _really_ likes you.”

Jake dropped his arms. His shoulders slouched. Yeah, she did, and he knew that. But his trust was broken. How did you fix that? “Doesn’t matter.”

“Like hell it doesn’t matter.” Eve walked into the room now. “That girl has proven herself over and over again, and you just keep shutting her down, breaking her bit by bit.” She came to stand next to Jones. Jake’s temper started to rise, but he realized it wasn’t because they were ganging up on him. It was because they were right…and because he realized that he was starting to trust Cassie again. 

xXx

Cassandra was lying in her bed. As soon as they’d gotten back she’d spent an hour in the shower, half of that was spent crying. That vampire…it had shown her things, told her things she didn’t want to know, didn’t want to believe. She’d been happy, living in ignorant bliss. That vampire shattered all of that. She needed to be alone right now. She couldn’t be around the others. Once she was sure she could fake happiness again she could be around them. Right now…

A knock on the door startled her. “Cassie?”

Out of all of the people it could have been, it had to be Jake. She really didn’t want to be around him right now. Maybe if she didn’t answer he would think she was sleeping. He knocked again, called out her name again. She didn’t answer. Instead, she rolled over and faced the wall her bed was pressed against. 

Jake was stubborn though. Instead of leaving, like she’d hoped, he walked in and gently shut the door. Cassie didn’t take her eyes off the wall, she didn’t look over at him, didn’t move. But she listened. She could hear him softly walking across the floor. She heard shuffling and realized he was taking his shoes off before he slowly and carefully climbed into the bed with her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back tight against his chest. “Talk to me.”

She shook her head. That the was the one thing she couldn’t do. Cassandra could feel her eyes burning as tears built up and spilt down her face. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Jake turned her in his arms until she was facing him. He cupped her face, her thumbs brushing her tears away. 

“You’re never going to trust me.” His intense eyes softened, but she couldn’t stop now. She’d opened the floodgates. “I’m falling for you but it doesn’t matter because you’ll never trust me again. I’m dying and I’m falling for a man who could never feel the same for me.” She covered her face. She was better than this. She shouldn’t be this stupid. “You’re just using me.”

Jake tipped her head back and kissed her. But this was different than their previous kisses. There was something more in this. Cassandra braced her hands on his chest, ready to push him away. But she was so weak. She didn’t have the strength to do it. The kiss wasn’t intense, it wasn’t needy, it wasn’t to inspire arousal. It was soft, slow, sensual, passionate. The tears wouldn’t stop. 

He slowly pulled away and looked into her eyes. His storm blue-grey eyes burrowed deep into her. “There’s just one problem with your theory.” She stared up at him. What could that possibly be? “I do trust you.”

She almost didn’t want to believe him. He said he couldn’t, not after what she did. So…why now? “What are you talking about?”

He sighed and brushed his thumb over her cheek, brushing away the remaining tears. “I didn’t realize until today but…” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I do trust you. You gave your life for Flynn, risked it for me today…got hurt because of me.” He dropped a kiss to her forehead. She wasn’t used to this sweet, soft side of him. “How could I not trust you?”

Cassandra buried her head in his chest and let him hold her. She hadn’t been expecting this. Not after what the vampire had forced into her mind. Jake stroked her back and just held her. He didn’t try to cop a feel, didn’t try to pull anything. He just held her in his arms, rocked her slowly. Maybe she wouldn’t die with a broken heart.


End file.
